The first accelerated beam of heavy ions was obtained at the DC-140 complex on August 4, 2026. Commissioning was completed by specialists from the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research.
At the initial stage, the accelerator successfully formed a beam of krypton ions with a charge of ⁸⁴Kr¹¹⁺ and an energy of 2.124 MeV per nucleon. This result was the first significant achievement after the completion of the complex's construction.
The DC-140 project at FLNR JINR began in 2020. The new cyclotron is primarily intended for applied research and is expected to replace some of the tasks performed on previous accelerators. The installation is designed to work with ions of elements from oxygen to bismuth and will be able to form beams with energies up to 4.8 MeV per nucleon, depending on the acceleration mode.
Main areas of DC-140 operation:
- radiation materials science;
- solid state physics;
- modification of surface properties;
- creation of track membranes;
- testing of electronic component base for radiation resistance;
- study of single radiation effects.
DC-140 will become part of JINR's applied research infrastructure. The institute expects to use the accelerator for work with materials, electronics, and polymer structures. In particular, the project's technical materials provide for separate modes for research with heavy ion beams and testing microchips for radiation resistance.